Indicating means



March-20, 1928.

E. F. PIERCE INDICATING MEANS Filed sept. 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheen 33 if-X Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

v. UNITDJ'SiTATE Sy i PATE NT FF :EARL n. rIER'CnoF CHICAGO, in nnvoisyonnrnenrnusr COMPANY oFILnINoIaAn- Miniera/ironici" sein naar. F." rinncng'nnonesnnf, lAssieivoza;frov FLORENCE n.

PIERCE.

iNnICA'riNG MEANS.

application. filed september 12, 1924. seria; vrra; 737,2a4.

indicating means for indicatingtothe driver `of fan; automotive vehicle, the quantity of y fuel in thet fuel tank.

means, for. the vpurpose.. described, .inwhich thereis the minimum amount of resistance `The objects of myv presentinvention are First To provide a j novel 4indicating,

. between the moving .partsof ythe mechanism, .f V `.and other relativelyrstationaryparts;

Secondz To provide a fnovel indicating i means in which the connecting meansbe'\lr l tank andthe indicating means is of thesim i ftwcen the level "actuated means in the fuel plest character.' v t n .y n* `Third: To provide/ran' indicating means ysuch'` as described inrwhich the m'echaical as short as possible. f

connection' between thelevel actuated means.` l i invthe fuel tank and the' indicating means is guide v17, fand anannulan cap 2O seals vthe V`Fourth: ToV provide an indicating means in which optical -means are employed for transmitting the indication "over thecgreater lportion of the distance from the fuel tank to the driver. Y y

Fifth: To provide an indicating means located to theV rear ofthe driversseat; and i simple means for enabling the driver to see l the indicatorof the indicating means, and

iSiXtli: To 4provide-fan indicating means..` such as described that is simple in construcA tion, Aeconomical to manufacture, and rugged.

Other objects of my invention will appear as this description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l, is a side elevation of an automotive vehicle embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse' section, through a portion of the fuel tank, and the indicating means.

Figure 3, is a vertical section takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure et, is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4.-4 of Fig. 2, v

Figure 5, is a rear end elevation of an automotive vehicle embodying a modified form of my invention; parts being broken away for the sake of better illustration.

Figure` 6, is a vertical transverse section taken, an line 6W5 of Figure 5, and

` Figure 7, is a transverse verticalf's'eetion on an enlargedv scale'takenon 1ine7-"7 of Figure 5. i

Throughout the several views, similar reference .characters areused forsirnilar parts, andthe severalfsections aretaken looking in the direction ofthe small arrows.: l

4Referring to the drawings and vfork the .timebeing to'Figures Il .to 4 inclusive,I have shownmylinvention as embodied in an automotive vehicle,'f comprising the wheels, 10, bodyll, and top 12,hav2ingthe rear window 13.LA-uel tank liris` supported adjacent therear endofJ the ybody 1111, and is provided with the Vusual `filling o'r'iening,` 4clsed by they Lcapfl. v

f Carried `bythe.tubular bossy 16,' andex-k tending down intof'the tankli, is a 'cylindrical guidefand baffle 17, having a ,plurality of transversenopenings '18.. A itube`19lhas its lower endthreaded,into thefup'perA end'ofthe "the bodyllild the back Iof therear seatQl,

andvterminates adjacent the rupper side of ,the rear seat. Asleeve like cap .22' is'thread-A ed onto, thefupper end ofi the tube 19 .and carri es i the horizontally extending guide' tube V23. Screw 524 securethe guide tube inthe bifurcations '2i2joftheicap22g i y lfliigsz,iandtiQare 4.threaded finto fthe opposite ends ofA the "tube vr'23, fand act' as bearings for the tapered ends ofthe shaft 27. This shaft has a spiral groove 28 formed therein for receiving a corresponding thread frrmed in the nut 29 that-slides on the shaft 2 v The nut 29 has a stem 30 that extends through theslot 31 formed in the upper side of the tube 23, and carries at its upper end, a target, or indicator 32. This indi cator is silhouetted against the rear window 13, and may, simply by its position relative to the end of the rear window, indicate to the driver the quantity of fuelr in the tank 14, or a suitable scale may be inscribed on the rear window; or thev tube 23 may support a scale for coeacting with the indicator 32.

float 33, of cork, or other suitable maE i upwardly through the tube 19. The upper end of the ribbon 35 is connected to the shaft 27.

A helical spring36 surrounds the opposite end of the shaft 27. One end of this spring is vconnected with the plug and its other4 "fr 1 end' is anchored tothe shaft 27.

rlThe` weighty of the float 33, the stem 34,. and thelribbon is suficient, ywhen not sup- -g portedby the fuel in the tank 14, to rotate Atheshaft2 against the tension of the spring 36, so as 'to move the indicator 32y to its zero positionf Vhen, how-ever, there is fuel in theY tank 14. the float will be raised'and the p shaft' 27 ywill rotate under the influence of f the springBG, to move the indicator to a position corresponding to the ylevel of the v fuel inthe tank 14;

The driver, seated in the drivers seat 37, Jean, byturning his head, see the indicator 32 `rsilhouetted against4 the rear window l13; or he may make use of the rear-vision mirror 38,`toldletermine the position of the indicator4 f withoutturning around. ',Theconstruction shown 1n Figures 5, 6

and 7 is similar to that described above, exe

Jcept thatin place of the tube 23, the cap 22 carries ahou'sing 23', in which is mounted the shaft 27. A spiral spring 36 having one Vend. anchoredin the housing and its other end secured to the shaft 27', tends'to.

, move the indicator to a position indicating that the tankla is full.

vio

An indicator 32 lextending outwardly through a slot 31 in the housing, co-acts with an index scale 40,

rto indicate the amount of fuel in the tank 14.

f f For controlling the movement of the shaft 27', the upper end of the ribbon 35 winds waround a spool 41, mounted on the shafty 27` and secured thereto. The diameter of the spool 41 is suiiicient to accommodate the movement of the float 33.

- l prefer to have the .end of the indicator 32 extend beyond the end of the index scale Ll0, so as to be silhouetted against the rear window, as shown inFigure 5. y

While VI have describ d the details of construction of the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be clearly understood that my invention is not limited to these details, but is capable of other adaptations and modifications within the scope .of the appended'claims.

Having thus described my-invention, what Yl claim is:

i 1. rlyhe combination with an automobile having a rear window and a rear fuel tank, of means for. indicating to thedr1ver of the carvthe level of fuel in said fuel tank, comprising a threaded rotatable rodA extending substantially parallelmwith one of the horizontal sides of said vwindow, Aan indicator silhouetted against saidwindow, a threaded connection betweensaid indicator and said rod',`a spring tending to rotate said rod in one direction, a float in said Afuel, tank, and a connection'between said float and threaded rod for rotating ksaid rod in the opposite direction asthe level in said fuel tank drops. f 2. The combination with an vautomobile having a rear Window and a rear fuel tank, of an indicator mounted to move in a horizontal direction along one of the horizontal sid-cs of the window and to register with the window so as to be visible through the window, a ioat in said tank movable in response to changes of level of fuel in said tank, a threaded rotatable rod engaging with the indicator to move the indicator asthe rod is rotated, and means 'associated with the float and with the rod for rotating the rod as the float moves'. Y In witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of September, 1924.

EARL F, Pinnen'. 

